online-to-offline
Nexite raises $67M for its new approach to tagging and tracking merchandise in physical stores
When it comes to commerce innovation, physical retail often feels like it gets the short end of the development stick against newer, faster-growing, more quantifiable (and still far from perfect) digi
China’s housing unicorn Danke appoints ex-Baidu exec as new COO
A few months after nabbing a handsome $500 million funding round, China’s shared housing startup Danke Apartment got a talent boost. On Monday, Danke announced the appointment of Gu Guodong as i
China’s JD.com teams up with Intel to develop ‘smart’ retail experiences
Months after it landed a major $550 million investment from Google, China’s JD.com — the country’s second highest-profile investor behind Alibaba — has teamed up with another U
Meituan-Dianping’s IPO off to a good start as shares climb 7% on debut
Meituan-Dianping (3690.HK) enjoyed a strong debut today in Hong Kong, a sign that investors are confident in the Tencent-backed company’s prospects despite its cash-burning growth strategy, heavy co
Taiwan startup FunNow gets $5M Series A to help locals in Asian cities find last-minute things to do
“Instant booking” apps that let tourists sign up for activities on very short notice have been in the news a lot lately, partly because of Klook’s new unicorn status, but also because of the pro
Meituan, the Tencent-backed ‘one-stop super app,’ files for IPO in Hong Kong
After months of speculation, Meituan, the largest service booking app in China, confirmed that it has filed for a public offering. The company’s IPO application was submitted to the Hong Kong stock
Alibaba Pictures raises $260M for its online movie ticket platform
Alibaba Pictures, the film and television subsidiary of Alibaba Group, has raised a 1.7 billion RMB (about $260 million) Series A for its online ticketing platform, Taobao Movie. According to a filing
Meituan-Dianping, China’s Largest Group Deals Site, Closes Massive $3.3B Round At $18B Valuation
Meituan-Dianping, China’s largest group deals site, confirmed that it has closed a colossal $3.3 billion round at a valuation of $18 billion. The company claims that this is the largest single fundi
Tencent Strikes Strategic Partnership With Indoor Mapping Startup Sensewhere
Chinese Internet giant Tencent, the maker of WeChat, has pinned down a strategic investment with indoor mapping startup sensewhere. The total amount of the deal was undisclosed, but the companies said
Tencent Wants To Buy All Remaining Shares Of Elong, One Of China’s Top Travel Sites
Tencent has made a bid to buy all outstanding shares of eLong, one of China’s biggest online travel agencies (OTA). The maker of WeChat, China’s largest messaging service, already owns shares that
Alibaba And Subsidiary Ant Financial Plow Almost $1B Into A New Online-To-Offline Joint Venture
Online-to-offline (O2O) commerce and providing ultra-speedy local deliveries are two of Alibaba’s main growth targets. Now the e-commerce giant is significantly increasing its commitment to both ver
Line’s COO Officially Takes Over As CEO To Turn The Messaging App Into A Mobile Services Platform
Three months after announcing the transition, Line has officially received shareholder approval to appoint Takeshi Idezawa, the messaging app’s former chief operating officer, as its chief executive
Alibaba Will Pay $692M For 35% Stake In Retail Operator Intime
Alibaba has agreed to pay $692 million for a 35% stake in Intime Retail, which operates department stores throughout China. The two companies will form a joint initiative to focus on offline-to-online